What makes pangolins unique among mammals?

They are fully covered in scales

What happened in 2016 to protect pangolins?

All species got the top level of trade protection

Pangolin Quiz: Keratin Scales, Rolling Up and Ant Diets

This pangolin quiz meets the scaly anteaters of Africa and Asia. Play 10 interactive questions on overlapping keratin scales, rolling into a tight ball, a long sticky tongue, no teeth, ants and termites, eight species on two continents, tree pangolins with gripping tails, trafficking for scales and meat, and the 2016 global trade ban.

Start Pangolin Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Scales
What are pangolin scales made of?
Unique
What makes pangolins unique among mammals?
Defense
What does a frightened pangolin do?
Diet
What do pangolins mainly eat?
Teeth
How many teeth do pangolins have?
Tongue
What helps pangolins catch insects?
Species
How many pangolin species are there?
Tree
What helps tree pangolins climb?
Threat
Why are pangolins heavily trafficked?
Ban
What happened in 2016 to protect pangolins?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What are pangolin scales made of?
Answer: Keratin
Fingernails share this protein.
Q2: What makes pangolins unique among mammals?
Answer: They are fully covered in scales
Scales overlap like armor.
Q3: What does a frightened pangolin do?
Answer: Rolls into a tight ball
Even lions struggle to open it.
Q4: What do pangolins mainly eat?
Answer: Ants and termites
They raid nests at night.
Q5: How many teeth do pangolins have?
Answer: None
They swallow small stones to grind food.
Q6: What helps pangolins catch insects?
Answer: A very long sticky tongue
It is anchored deep in the body.
Q7: How many pangolin species are there?
Answer: Eight
Four in Africa and four in Asia.
Q8: What helps tree pangolins climb?
Answer: A gripping tail
They hang from branches.
Q9: Why are pangolins heavily trafficked?
Answer: For their scales and meat
They are among the most trafficked mammals.
Q10: What happened in 2016 to protect pangolins?
Answer: All species got the top level of trade protection
International commercial trade was banned.

Armored Anteaters

Pangolins are the only mammals fully covered in scales, made of keratin, the same protein in fingernails. When threatened, they roll into a tight ball, protecting their soft bellies, a defense even lions struggle to break.

Pangolins have no teeth. They eat ants and termites, raiding nests at night with strong claws and catching insects with a very long sticky tongue anchored deep in the body. Swallowed stones help grind food in the stomach. Eight species live in Africa and Asia, and tree pangolins use gripping tails to climb.

Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals, hunted for their scales and meat. In 2016 all eight species received the top level of international trade protection, banning commercial trade. World Pangolin Day raises awareness each February.

What This Quiz Teaches

Animal fans will enjoy these questions.

What scales are made of
How pangolins defend themselves
What they eat
Where they live
Why they are threatened

Did You Know?

Pangolins are mostly nocturnal.
Babies ride on their mother's tail.
They can close their ears and nostrils.
Each species has different scale patterns.
Rescue centers rehabilitate seized pangolins.